Finding A Fairytale
by Shnee
Summary: After plently pointless relationships, Emma was losing faith in her ideal fairytale. She was doomed to die an old maid if she didn't find her Prince Charming soon. But Prince Charming is always found in the most unlikely of people...


Findin A Fairytale

I sat at my old study desk, smiling slightly at the old bits of nothingness I had kept during my short lifetime. Pictures of my sister and I littered the shelves, and there was an odd photo frame with my parents smiling in it. I had always found it rather odd that there was not one picture of the whole family together on my desk.

I opened up my drawer and drew my finger across the bases of old books I had read. Most were fantasies, adventures, and fairytales, about far off lands and princes who were destined to rescue their true love and live happily ever after. Although I had never enjoyed the fact that most young women in fairy tales were damsels in distress and cooked most of the time, I used to swoon over the idea of a prince rescuing me. Not that I had anything to be rescued from. Quite the opposite actually.

Both my parents were accomplished writers, who had written many novels on factual topics, perhaps the odd mystery and murder novel at my request. But they never wrote the sort of books I enjoyed.

From the age of five, my parents had encouraged my big sister, Allison, and I to read as much as possible. And before long, we were both translating all of our thoughts onto paper and into stories.

"Emma stop daydreaming and get packing!" I heard mum shout from the bottom of the stairs.

I rolled my eyes at mum's good guess and got to my feet, eventually tearing my eyes away from my old desk. "How ya doin' kiddo?" Dad peeked his head round the door and I smiled.

"Alright, haven't even started yet," I shrugged.

Dad sucked in his breath, "Mum's not going to be happy with that. Better get a move on; Allison's already half way through packing."

"Oh the atrocity of it all," I exclaimed dramatically.

Dad grinned and continued walking down the hallway, leaving me alone again. I sighed and glanced at my empty trunk; I might as well get started.

Within half an hour, I was finished. To my amazement.

"So girls, are you wanting to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?" Mum asked in her soft voice that gave me goose bumps. She sat a bowl of salad on the table in front of me and took her seat at the top of the table.

Allison glanced at me and we both cleared our throats. "Well," Allison began, making me smile. "I've always thought that the Hogwarts scenery is fascinating, and I've been itching to maybe write something about it, if anything to use it as inspiration. It would be good if I got the extra time over Christmas to give it a try."

Mum and dad nodded understandably, and I had to stop my self grinning over at Allison, who was looking innocent and trying her best to suck up to mum and dad.

"And what about you Emma?" Mum turned to me.

I tucked a strand of my brown hair behind my ear and took a sip of my water, shrugging. "Haven't really thought about it. I haven't stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas before so it would be nice to see what it's like."

Mum narrowed her eyes slightly at Allison, her lips thinning into a small line. "Well, in that case I'll try to explain to gran why her favourite granddaughters can't be with her at Christmas," Mum sniffed.

I rolled my eyes and dad smiled at me. "Let's talk about something else," He suggested hurriedly, knowing that mum could go on for hours in an attempt to make Allison and I feel guilty.

"So Emma, how are things with Steve?" Allison asked me, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

I kept my eyes on my plate and shrugged, "Same as usual."

"Boring? Eventless? Absolutely pointless?" Allison sniggered.

"Allison!" Dad scolded her.

"Pretty much, yes," I nodded, ignoring my father's attempts to protect me.

"Then why do you continue seeing him?" Allison enquired, popping a raw carrot in her mouth.

By now mum and dad had joined in and were trying to get Allison to be quiet. I heard mum bicker with dad about how my love life was a mess, dad bickered back saying everyone should stay out of it, which I was grateful for. I sighed heavily and looked up at a smiling Allison, and I couldn't hold back a smile. I shrugged. This was just another dinnertime with my family, and I couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts.

"Does he know that you're a witch?" Allison asked me later on when I was finishing off my packing.

I shook my head; "I don't think I trust him enough."

Allison sighed and dropped onto my bed, "Why do you bother with all these guys Em? I mean sure, they like you enough, but it seems to me that you're only seeing them for the sake of it."

"I do not," I replied stiffly.

Allison raised an eyebrow, "Really? Name one guy you've been with that you actually cared about."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, and was all set to say something to shut her up, when I realised Allison was right. I had been with countless guys, none of which I truly loved. Or felt anything remotely like love for them.

Allison sniggered, "I rest my case."

"Well come on Ally," I exclaimed, slamming my trunk shut and tucking my wand behind my ear. "What am I supposed to do? I'm genetically programmed to die an old maid. I might as well make use of the options I have now."

"An old maid?" Allison sniggered. "What makes you think that?"

I sighed, shaking my head. The real reason was Allison. Yes, my sister was standing in the way of my love life. She was prettier than me, funnier than me, and just down right better in every possible way. Her name might as well have been Mary Poppins (another favourite of mine). And when I was completely honest with myself, I knew that every time I thought I had met the perfect guy who I actually liked, he met Allison. End of story. He lost any interest in me and I lost any confidence in myself. It had been like this for y ears, and Allison still hadn't realised it. Hence the reason I dated such low lives that were only interested in me because my sarcastic comments were enough to classify as humour. Oh, and because my breasts were bigger than Allison's. Brownie points for me.

"Look, if you don't like a guy, then you don't go out with him," Allison told me wisely. "It's a waste of time. You'll find someone Em, and you won't have to date him for three months before you realise that you're meant for each other. Take Alex and me; the moment I met him, I knew. It was like…magic."

I rolled my eyes. She was going into the magic speech again. Allison had been seeing Alex for around four years now; they were going to get married when she finished school. I couldn't be happier for her. Please note the sarcasm.

As you've probably guessed, it was Alex and me to begin with, not Alex and Allison. I brought him home to meet the family and capoof. He saw Allison.

After about three or four boyfriends breaking up with me because they thought we were better off friends, my fantasy of a prince charming coming to rescue me evaporated.

SSSS

"Remember to write, and stay out of trouble. Allison good luck in your exams, and Emma, study hard," Mum told us, giving us one-armed hugs and sending us off for the trained.

I hugged dad quickly and ran through the barrier, not bothering to wait for Allison. I spotted Carol among the crowd of families and ran to meet her.

"How was your summer!?" She hugged me quickly and boarded the train, with me right behind her.

"Same as always," I shrugged with a smile.

"I take it Steve's history?" Carol grinned mischievously and slid open the door to an empty compartment.

"Of course," I smiled lightly. "He was an arse."

Carol rolled her eyes and took off her side bag, "I don't know how you can go through so many guys Em. You're practically a female Sirius Black."

I wrinkled my nose, "He only goes out with girls cos he wants a good shag."

Carol raised an eyebrow, "And why do you go out with so many guys?"

I shrugged, "I'm just…looking for the perfect one."

Carol knew I was lying through my teeth, but she let it drop and we continued talking about our summers.

Half way through the journey I heard a rumble of noises a couple of doors down. I peeked my head out of the compartment, with Carol right behind me and I narrowed my eyes at the scene before me.

Sirius Black and James Potter, the two most popular boys in school. Although I had had a crush on Sirius in first year when he sat next to me in class and I couldn't stop blushing, I had never liked Sirius much after second year. The boy stood for everything I hated in a guy.

I heard Carol laugh bitterly from behind me. Once again, Sirius and James were picking on Severus Snape. The greasy Slytherin in our year, whom everyone hated.

Sirius flicked his black locks out his eyes and hexed Snape one more time, causing all onlookers to collapse in laughter as Snape sprouted donkey ears. As everyone fell about laughing, and I turned to go back into the compartment, Sirius caught me with his hypnotising grey eyes. For a moment, we shared something, it sent shivers down my spine and all of my senses told me to look away and get on with things, but the desperate and almost lonely look Sirius was unknowingly giving me told me to lose myself in his eyes.

"Come Emma, I can't be bothered watching those idiots anymore," Carol pulled my arm and I reluctantly went back into the compartment, closing the door behind me.


End file.
